Garma’s lawyer claims she will not hide in US; visa had no issues prior to flight

The legal counsel for retired Police Colonel Royina Garma assured that she had no plans to hide in the United States and that her visa had no issues when she left the country.

According to a "24 Oras" report by JP Soriano on Wednesday, her camp said that there was no reason for her visa to be cancelled, as she had no active charges from the court aside from being cited in contempt by the House QuadComm.

“When she was allowed to fly we thought that it was already okay, kasi wala namang problema na sa visa niya so she was able to fly. Then she landed there, yun inimbestigahan na naman siya ulit,” said her lawyer, Emerito Quilang.

The Department of Foreign Affairs said that the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco is now coordinating with US authorities after Garma and her daughter were barred from entry by the United States Customs and Border Protection.

Garma’s lawyer said she had no intentions to hide in the US, and that she had been planning to visit her relatives.

He added that his client would prefer to answer to possible charges and cases in the Philippine courts.

“That is very crucial, so we have to submit her counter affidavit. That’s why it is very sure that she will come back,” he said.

Justice Secretary Remulla said that there was no present confirmation as to why Garma’s visa was cancelled, but stated that Garma had also been intercepted in a Japan airport for a connecting US flight previously. Quilang clarified that this took place before the QuadComm sessions.

The Bureau of Immigration has yet to respond as to why Garma’s visa was cancelled, but issues pertaining to visa grants are under US jurisdiction.

“Sa kanila siguro, maybe if there is a case, if a person is facing investigation already even if there’s no case yet ay hindi na siguro maganda sa kanila. So, probably that is the reason na media, na red tag nila yung kanyang visa,” said Quilang.

Garma had previously testified to the House QuadComm regarding how former president Rodrigo Duterte ordered her to look for a police official who could replicate a “Davao model” of the war on drugs on a national scale.

This included a cash-for-every-kill reward, reaching up to P1 million as the biggest for a kill.

In response, Duterte stated that he did not remember calling Garma to issue the aid order and called her a liar.

Garma was implicated in a murder complaint filed by the widow of former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) executive Wesley Barayuga after she was allegedly involved in the order for the killing with former National Police Commission commissioner Edilberto Leonardo.

Garma denied the allegation. —Jiselle Anne Casucian/LDF, GMA Integrated News